Z1000 80's styled Café racer
Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:43 am
I think that's about the best description I can come up with for my project, given that I have no very firm plans, other than to say that, with Ludders help, I want to fabricate my own frame loosely based around a Harris Magnum 2 frame. I don't want any parts of the bike not to have been available any later than 1985 - so no upsidedown forks etc. I doubt I'll tune the engine as I really can't afford the heavy costs involved, though if I see some form of blower going cheap I might be tempted to have a go at going down that route. Money is very tight so I intend to build this project on a shoe string, making parts rather than buying stuff off the shelf as it were. I even intend to paint it myself. Jak of café racer fame has promised to teach me to spray and I have another friend who has a spray booth, though I do intend to buy a shed for that purpose one day.
I picked up the donor bike yesterday. I can't seem to trace exactly what the frame was, except to say it was some sort of US Limited (frame no JKAKZCK1XCB500207) This is really only of academic interest as the only part I will use is the headstock, and that only cos it'll be easier than trying to register a new frame with the muppets at DVLA, who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. The engine has been striped and lumped about a lot so I guess the chances of making it oil tight aren't good, but I'll keep me fingers crossed. The lump was still in the frame as the front engine mount was seized up, so I took the angle grinder to it
I think I'll strip the motor as I did with the Old Gurl, and rebuild it checking absolutely everything from the gearbox up. I'd like to have it all vapour blasted, but I think that will be tooooo expensive, so it'll be the dremmel and tins of VHT paint I guess
Lots of random parts we stuffed into plastic bins - God alone knows what's there, but clearly no front end nor wheels - hmm not a very complete bike huh?
Having had to cut the front rail of the frame out to remove it I now have to remove the remains of the rubber engine mounts. Not sure what I'll use on the final bike, but probably not rubber mounts, hmm
Bit of angle grind to be done here me thinks
I picked up the donor bike yesterday. I can't seem to trace exactly what the frame was, except to say it was some sort of US Limited (frame no JKAKZCK1XCB500207) This is really only of academic interest as the only part I will use is the headstock, and that only cos it'll be easier than trying to register a new frame with the muppets at DVLA, who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery. The engine has been striped and lumped about a lot so I guess the chances of making it oil tight aren't good, but I'll keep me fingers crossed. The lump was still in the frame as the front engine mount was seized up, so I took the angle grinder to it
I think I'll strip the motor as I did with the Old Gurl, and rebuild it checking absolutely everything from the gearbox up. I'd like to have it all vapour blasted, but I think that will be tooooo expensive, so it'll be the dremmel and tins of VHT paint I guess
Lots of random parts we stuffed into plastic bins - God alone knows what's there, but clearly no front end nor wheels - hmm not a very complete bike huh?
Having had to cut the front rail of the frame out to remove it I now have to remove the remains of the rubber engine mounts. Not sure what I'll use on the final bike, but probably not rubber mounts, hmm
Bit of angle grind to be done here me thinks
